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Tony le Tissier's excellent book "Slaughter at Halbe" makes some estimation towards Soviet and German strengths facing each other on 25th April on the 9th Army area.
For the Germans he estimates that the maximum strength of 9th Army in terms of Armored Vehicles was about 250 of which only about 200 were available for combat. He quotes the last report 9th Army sent to Army Group Headquarters on 24th April as being 79 Tanks in V Corps and 36 in XI SS Panzer Corps. In terms of manpower he cites Lieutenant-General Friedrich Bernhard the 9th Army's Rear area Commander. He put the total at 50,000 combat troops, 10,000 Volkssturm and, if totals of rear area troops are included then up to 150,000 men were trapped in the Halbe Pocket.
as regards the Soviet numbers he quotes 240,000 troops, 7,400 guns and Mortars, 280 tanks and SPG's as well as 1500 aircraft.
although these figures are quoted he does make the point that it is very difficult to accurately report the German figures given that there were so many different formations and not much evidence in terms of Reports etc.
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"The Eastern front is like a house of cards. If the front is broken through at one point all the rest will collapse."
- General Heinz Guderian |